BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has said it would commit $100 million to training the next generation of skilled trades workers who can support a growing demand for new infrastructure.
In its announcement, BlackRock explained that its philanthropic Future Builders Initiative will “help address urgent labor needs,” noting that there’s been an increase in “demand for workers in skilled trades such as electricians, HVAC technicians, plumbers, and ironworkers.” The company said that demand is expected to continue to surge in the coming years, and explained that it would help to meet that demand by supporting future workers during all stages of training through licensure.
“Throughout our history, tradespeople have built our country,” Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock, who also serves as the chairman of the AI Infrastructure Partnership. said in the announcement.
“America needs an estimated $10 trillion in infrastructure investment by 2033 to modernize aging systems and build new energy, digital, and AI infrastructure. Capital alone is not enough – people are central to building our nation’s future.”
The announcement comes at a time when the rate of joblessness for Gen Z is surging, and college enrollment may be on the decline. As more young adults skip college degrees, unconvinced that four years of college, and oftentimes, taking on the burden of thousands in student loans will actually ensure a financially stable future, they’re pursuing blue-collar work more often.
According to a 2025 Resume Builder report, 42% of Gen Z adults are turning to the trades in the wake of rising economic concerns and growing job instability.
Experts say that a greater investment in the trades can help solve some of today’s current workforce challenges. Julian Scadden, CEO of Nexstar Network, an organization that helps skilled trades workers grow their business, says those jobs are “hand-on, high-impact and future proof.”
Scadden explains that, “For too long, we’ve treated the trades as a fallback rather than a first-choice career option, but that perception is finally changing. The need isn’t just a flash in the pan, as there are longer term prospects and enormous opportunities for people in skilled trade careers.”
That certainly feels true as concerns about finding a job that can actually enable young adults to afford modern living are real, and they’re rampant. But cost of living conversations aside, also driving those concerns are fears around AI taking human jobs. Interestingly, while AI may be able to take on a growing number of tasks once done by human workers, it’s also increasing the need for more skilled trade workers (at least for now).
When speaking at the World Economic Forum alongside Larry Fink in January, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang spoke to the fact that demand for skilled trade workers is surging as construction for AI data centers rises.
“This is the largest infrastructure buildout in history and that’s gonna create a lot of jobs,” Huang said, while adding that pay for skilled trade work is increasing at the same time. “Salaries have gone up—nearly double,” the CEO said.
He continued, “Everybody should be able to make a great living. You don’t need to have a PhD in computer science to do so.”
Through that lens, experts say the investment in trades comes at the right time.
Steve Metzmen, CEO of iBusiness Technologies, a mobile technology integrator and Apple partner, where he developed the Connected Apprentice platform for trades workers, tells Fast Company the investment is “very smart” and that “deep funding for trades training is needed now.” The CEO says that’s true given we’re at what he calls an “inflection point” where “cutting-edge technology and long-overdue appreciation for skilled trades are converging at exactly the same moment.”
Metzmen continues, comparing the current transformative period to that of the 1800s, when railways were first being built: “Without those tracks, the great transformations of American industry and capitalism were not possible,” Metzmen says. “Required infrastructure had to come first, everything else waited and followed,” the CEO adds.
Ironically, while BlackRock is clearly invested in supporting trade workers, they’re also deeply committed to the power of AI.
In a 2025 transaction—one of the largest data center transactions ever—the firm purchased Aligned Data Centers in a $40 billion deal. “With this investment in Aligned Data Centers, we further our goal of delivering the infrastructure necessary to power the future of AI,” Fink said at the time.
Likewise, per the recent announcement, the firm’s contribution will also go toward the building of new AI data centers.
Still, while the investment may eventually add to the growing anxiety around AI taking over a growing number of jobs, BlackRock’s investment is bound to help those who want to pursue work in the trades find financial stability in the near future.
Metzmen says, “This investment doesn’t just support labor—it helps to relieve the greatest constraint on the entire resource delivery pipeline.”
